Touché
Wouldn’t it be great to have a DirectStream management app. A piece of software that will monitor the health of all network enabled DirectStream devices, monitor the software status of all those devices, and run any chosen software updates - up or down - from the cloud when appropriate.
For a while I had issues every time I tried to load a new O/S to one of my two DS boxes whereas the other DS would load without a glitch. You were your usual helpful self, but no matter what you suggested I tried, DS1 was still a pain in the butt when attempting to load new files… When I eventually installed the new O/S the DS sounded dire and it took an age to sound musical… I’d be back and forth loading earlier O/S’ and reloading the current new O/S, etc: – I would use the same SD card to update DS2 which worked great straightaway every-time — but it took DS1 many hours to come on song and blend seamlessly with my other DS2 DAC…
THE FIX… I stripped out the internals and fitted a new kit - that solved all the problems. DS1 loads perfectly fine now - every time !
DS1 never presented me a problem prior to Torreys beta testing, that’s when my problems began …. something during that process corrupted DS1. Just one of those unfortunate occurrences ! Maybe there are a small-few DS owners in the same boat as I was…
1 Like
And there-in is the problem. For what appear to be two identical DS boxes but which behave differently.
1 Like
Living close to the beach, I have a badly rusted old, external USB SD card reader. Every time I use it, I have to re-insert the USB cable, as well as the SD card, a few times to clean off some of the rust before my PC would read the card … yet, curiously, I’ve never had a problem with my updates!
1 Like
I don’t envy anyone who has to find such root causes within whatever code of SW or within HW design 
I’m with you. And SD card? I just grabbed the file, put it on a USB and plugged it into the “firmware update” input. Turned it on and BAM- done.
Thank you for the detailed explanatory post, Ted.
Thanks, PB, we’re going at this full steam ahead. All I ever see of senior programmer Barry is the back of him, headphones on, staring at lines of code on his video screen.
Barry, by the way, is an interesting person and happens to be the subject of tomorrow’s Paul’s Post. https://www.amazon.com/Barry-Solway/e/B00QPMK9VM/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1527252783&sr=1-2-ent
1 Like
Thanks, we’re moving forward.
2 Likes
Wow, writing code and books…that really sounds interesting and like two different people 
!
As one of the many with a troublefree unit without special care taken, I love the updates, too!
Great coding is an art. I lot of programmers I knew at Apple when I worked there were quite artistic. There were several fiction authors there then.
I was once operations manager for a large computer consultancy. I used to say then, bitterly, that what programmers needed was not a manager but a literary agent
Apple certainly leads the way in screwing up a perfectly good working gagdet!
No HP takes that title when they moved enterprise firmware dev overseas. Wow that was rough few years. They since brought it back to the States and the issues are far fewer.
Well, it’s certainly been an interesting problem. I’ve had them on occasion, but was able to iron them out fairly quickly in every case either by trying again, or going through Ted’s Rules to be sure I wasn’t doing something stupid (which I sometimes was). Though, Yup, should be completely Idiot-Proof, preferably ; )
Some things I would note about his List are A) it is only needed for a subset of users, B) a subset of that set only needs one or some of them, C) some users are actually having a hardware problem, or operator error, which may cause the FW or SW “problem” to appear worse than it is, D) users continually frustrated with hardware and/or software issues (unlike the majority, for whom, if it ain’t broke, don’t mention it - why would they) talk about it infinitely more than those with no issues, i.e. way more often than never, E) Ted was compelled to put out a whole bunch of what-ifs sorts of rules in hopes of covering a diversity of cases, nearly? none of which he was able to troubleshoot in meatspace (able to test the unit/card/procedure, etc. In person).
That it should be a less problematic procedure for all, or for whatever percentage of users for whom it is a problem, I can completely agree. I also like the idea of an internet update, but this gear is a little more personal to me, and I like to be able to get more hands on, if need be, vs. my TV. For example, if I don’t like the sound of a DS update, I like being able to go back to another one (not that this could not also be available online).
When I update my TV, I have absolutely no idea what happened (aside from taking their word for it that it loaded and fixed/improved something/loaded new or improved apps/made functionality changes. For all I know, I was also agreeing to let Sony or Google or Amazon listen to me talk to the TV, log my keystrokes, etc. and sell the information…or just to listen). TVs and computers/tablets/phones are now the hub of the connected home, whether we like it or not, independent of how much we are aware what they’re doing, etc. And in that sense, the more my audio gear is traditionally “dumb”, the better : )
Good Post + I agree. I love Sony but I have NO idea what it is doing on an update and it seems to not be on the web either. I would much rather understand an update so I can choose if I want to “take the risk”. No issues with Jr so far… RedCloud rocks imho…
That is interesting, because on the website of any manufacturer issuing Internet updates for a product there should normally be, often buried very deeply in their menu structure, a page called something like Change Log or Revision History. This will detail what is new in any update. How much enlightenment you get from it is another matter.
1 Like
Here is an example what @chrisj1948 is talking about. They are the software updates for my Lumagen video processor. Next to the download link is a description of the changes, new features, fixes etc in each release. And for a company who (I think) only has one Engineer doing software that is a huge volume of work. This information becomes an addendum to the owners manual. New features and fixes come faster than what owners manual updates can keep up with.
1 Like
Good point… I, too, agree… I have similar info with some of my other electronic equipment as it’s updated !